


Back to You

by shirewalker



Category: The Grisha Trilogy - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Reunion Sex, Shameless Smut, Smut, Table Sex, alina STAYED and MARRIED Nikolai HAH, once you read you'll know what the shameless part means xD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-16
Updated: 2018-04-16
Packaged: 2019-04-23 21:07:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14340927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shirewalker/pseuds/shirewalker
Summary: Nikolai has been away on a mission. When he returns, it's the council who demands his attention first.Alina isn't having any of that.She misses her husband. And he misses her.





	Back to You

**Author's Note:**

> breathe, it's not as long as You Are My Greatest Adventure.

 

 

 

The Sea Whip had hit the waters of the lake less than an hour prior and the king had already been whisked away to a meeting in the War Room. It seemed that the council needed his presence and journey report as much as a dying flower needed fresh water and sunlight. Except the council _could_ survive without the king for a few more hours.

She couldn’t.

Beautiful hazel eyes shot up from the papers Nikolai had just been reading. His gaze met hers and she felt his insufferable smile even before it graced his lips. Saints, she’d missed that smile. “Gentlemen, esteemed ladies.” He set aside the papers and spoke to the council, though his eyes remained on hers. _I missed you. I missed you too._ She could already feel a red-hot blush blooming on her cheeks. “I’m afraid we’ll have to post-pone this routinely meeting for a later hour.” He paused and touched another stack of papers with just the tip of his index finger. Her blood rushed faster as an ache to be touched like that began to take over her rational self. “I haven’t seen my beautiful queen in over a month. Dismissed.”

And as though a huge window had been open to blow away every bit of dust, the room cleared. Some complaints were uttered as the members passed by her, but no one hesitated for long or voiced their opinions. They were too fearful of getting reprimanded. And they respected Nikolai too much to do anything of the sorts. And her too. Sometimes it still felt too surreal.

He got up and buried his hands in his pockets as his smile widened into a toothy grin. Her knees went weak the very same moment, “Alina, my beautiful sunshine. I missed you.”

Her face cracked into a smile that was very much like his own, her heart growing lighter and lighter, “I missed you too, Nikolai.” Her gaze flickered below his pants waistband and her self-control began to unravel. “Our bedroom is too big for just little me. And…” she licked her lips, “I can’t really satisfy some... needs.” She finished, her voice growing just a tad huskier. Nikolai sucked in a breath and Alina allowed herself a victorious grin. _Gotcha_.

A groan formed in his throat and he opened his arms, “Come here, you little minx.”

If she could have run any faster into his arms, Alina would have, no doubt about it. Her body collided with Nikolai’s in a hug rather similar to a koala’s and his arms tightened around her small frame keeping her in place. Legs hooked tight around his waist, arms locked around his neck, body completely all over his. Alina felt happiness rush out of her in a long sigh, “Don’t you ever stay away for so long ever again, you bastard.” She mumbled into the crook of his neck just before taking in a lungful of him. Saints help her, he smelled just like she remembered. Wood, salt, the sea. His beloved notebooks. She took another lungful and frowned, there was gunpowder too. “What happened?”

Sensing the change in her voice, Nikolai leaned away a bit, just enough to look at her, “We had a little skirmish. Nothing worth fretting over, my love.” His voice softened, “Alina… You can stop sniffing me like I might vanish into thin air any second.” He added just as she had leaned in to take another lungful of him. “I’m not going anywhere.”

She sighed, “I know, I just…”

“Missed me?” he offered and Alina nodded. Nikolai didn’t say another word, instead walking back to the table to settle her down. Finally, since stepping into the War Room, the two took a good look at each other. Nikolai bopped her nose and his eyes shined with all sorts of mischievous ideas, “I missed you too, Alina. And…” he stepped in between her knees and placed both hands over the soft, blush-coloured fabric, “I too found some needs hard to satisfy.” He squeezed her knees a little. Alina sucked in a breath and quickly groaned out loud as she realised what he’d done. Her victory had been short-lived as payback had been swifter than planned.

“You’re the worst.” She said, eyes turned to slits.

Nikolai hummed in agreement. Alina had just begun to play with the buttons of his coat when he spoke again, “I love this dress, is it new?” Alina barely heard him as her fingers grew greedy and undid each button with growing speed. The weight of his absence hadn’t quite hit her until just now, until this moment when she had him within arm’s length once more. Her very soul ached from it. His absence hurt more than words could express.

“Genya made it, from the curtains we stole from the small cottage we spent our honeymoon in.” she finally spoke, her voice so hoarse she almost blushed harder, if her cheeks weren’t burning so hot they were like beacons pointing at every sign of her craving for Nikolai. “She said I should wear it upon your return, or something.”

“Or something…” He echoed and quickly added, “Although I would say we didn’t really steal them.”  A glare was his only reply before he flashed a smirk and grabbed two handfuls of the soft fabric, “I missed waking up next to you, Alina. So much. Restless sleep, damned bastard, kept me awake many nights. My heart actually ached whenever the sun entered through my little window and you weren’t there…” His nose touched hers and he nuzzled a little, “I wish you could have gone with me, Alina.” He whispered, lips brushing over her already parted ones in a soft, teasing promise of a kiss.

Her breathing grew shallow as she tried to keep it steady, to not give in so fast, “I missed waking up in your arms.” She gasped then, no longer able to wait for that kiss he was holding hostage. Making him beg wasn’t as alluring in that moment as actually kissing him. It had been far too long since they had kissed properly and Alina couldn’t wait any longer.

His heavy coat pooled around his feet with a soft thump as she pulled him in for the kiss, mouth desperate to taste him again after nearly two months of not even hearing his voice. Alina could feel her heart growing back to life with each new heartbeat and each new intake of air as Nikolai showered her with small, teasing kisses over and over again. A kiss on her lips, a kiss on her nose, a kiss on her eyelid, a kiss on her pulse and back to her lips. He seemed to be just as desperate to taste her again just as Alina was to taste him. “You taste of honey.” He rasped, awed by the new scent and taste of her skin.

“It’s, oh, it’s honey and milk.” She moaned into his open mouth as Nikolai slipped a hand under her skirts and began a maddeningly slow climb up her thigh, fingers pressing on her skin with even, perfectly planned intervals, “Genya said it’s good for the skin. Oh… Yes…” Her head was spinning. How could she had ever survived so long without Nikolai’s touch? A medal was in order, just for having survived through that.

“Yes… I agree with her.” His other hand was on the nape of her head, thumb gently rubbing that soft space just below her jaw. He added, “Makes you all the sweeter, sunshine.” Her blood was burning up, burning up, burning up. With a tenderness no one else ever got to see but her, Nikolai began to lie her down on the table. Remembering there were some bumps on the way, her hands scrambled behind and papers flew away, scattering all over the ground. Alina had never found that sound so beautiful until this very moment. It made her all the more excited.

“Ah...” A sigh of utter satisfaction left her lips as her back finally met the hard wood, Nikolai’s lips doing an excellent job of making the world disappear from her mind. Just like that, nothing else mattered, nothing else existed but the two of them. Nothing else.

His hands, rough and tender, moved oh so slowly up and down her body, skin touching skin, as her clothes quickly disappeared under his touch. Nikolai placed a soft kiss on her stomach, “Alina…” her name just a hot breath on her skin, warm and bright, just like her beloved sunlight. Nikolai hooked his fingers around the waistband of her underwear and anticipation ignited every cell of her body, “My sunshine…” His lips moved down achingly slow and chills erupted all over her skin. Each new goose bump quickly kissed away as Nikolai moved down her body with the patience of a saint. Alina scrambled for purchase as he moved down and down and down, her hands finding nothing but his hair to hold on to.

A moan climbed up her throat when she felt the first touch of his tongue, “Nikolai…!” She gasped as he deepened this kiss, his tongue playing wicked games with her body and making her mind unravel by the second. Oh, oh, oh…! She had missed this, oh how she _had_ missed this. Nikolai touching her like this, Nikolai holding her like this, Nikolai playing her so easily and drawing so many sounds out of her. Nikolai. She had missed him so much, him and his touch and his voice and his presence. She had missed him so much that her heart had begun to shrivel little by little during his absence. Pathetic, maybe, but the truth anyhow. Nothing to be done about that. Nothing she would want to do about that. He flicked his tongue again and again and she felt it, the edge, that lovely and beautiful moment of pure ecstasy, coming closer and closer and closer and oh! Oh! _OH!_

His name was on her lips in a cry of passion so raw and unrestrained, all her longing and love poured into it. She didn’t care at all if they were heard outside those doors. In that moment she didn’t even think about the gossip or the rumours. It didn’t matter. It didn’t matter at all, because Nikolai was home, at last. He was home.

Breathing shallow, heart rampant, Alina pulled him up by the hair first and then by an arm, higher and higher until they were nose to nose once more. As pleasurable as it was when he went down on her like this, she had missed _Nikolai_. She needed _him_ closer than that. Much, much closer.

There was not a day, not a moment, that her lungs didn’t get robbed of all air in the moments she stared up close at the specks of emerald green swimming in all that sea of deep caramel she loved so much. It happened every single time, without failing. Oh, how had she been able to ignore their wild beauty for so long? How had she been so blind?

“Hey, sunshine.” He whispered. A smile was on his lips and she reached up to touch them with the tips of her fingers, softly tracing their outline and the dimples that formed with this smile. Beautiful. He was just… So beautiful. Inside and out.

She smiled, “Hey, _fox_.”

“Have I told you how beautiful you are when you don’t give a damn about what others might think?” He said, his smile growing and shifting in that manner it always did whenever she called him ‘fox’. Alina could still remember the day she got a fever so high it had her spilling to the king all thoughts she’d ever had about him. Including her _very first_ thought. The Too-Clever Fox. _Her_ Too-Clever Fox. The moment she got better, Nikolai had refused to let her out of their room. He simply couldn’t have it. She remembered all the laughter that had filled the room. All the laughter and all the moans and all the groans. They had been married for just a month when that happened.

“Have I told you how insufferable you can be sometimes?” She snapped back, although it sounded more like a plea for more than a snapped remark. Nikolai’s smile turned mischievous. She glared at him.

“You’re so greedy, Alina. And here I thought you had been practicing your patience.” He said but just as Alina began to talk back, he quickly pecked her lips and began to rid himself of his travelling clothes, apologising for the rumpled look he had. “Traveling without stop for a week, no time for a proper clean-up. I missed you that much, my love.”

“Oh shut up, you know you look great.” She bit back, unable to stop the way her heart skipped a beat with those words. He’d missed her enough to ignore how he looked upon his return. If only she hadn’t had to dig him out of the council’s clutches.

“I do, I really do.” He agreed. “I always do.” Then he climbed on top of her, hazel eyes traveling down her naked body as his hands slowly parted her legs. So, so slowly. Her back arched with anticipation, her eyes rolling in their sockets, her hands aching to dig deep into the wood. “But here’s a secret, my love…” Nikolai whispered, his breath brushing over the sensitive skin of her inner thigh, “ _You_ are the most exquisite.” He pressed a soft kiss on that spot, “I would never compare.” Another kiss, this time on her hipbone. She shuddered. His hands brushed along her frame, up and slow, up and slow, up and slow. “I wouldn’t even dare to, my love.” He captured a nipple between his teeth and teased it for a brief moment, just enough to draw a sweet gasp from her lips. “My love…” A shower of kisses all over her sternum and up her neck, a hand snaking under her back to hold her closer. “My beautiful Alina…” She felt the tip of his tongue over her lower lip, tracing her mouth, teasing her mercilessly. Moans and soft gasps escaped her control, the young queen barely keeping it together with her primal need to be with him. “My sunshine. My sunshine.” He finished and captured her lips within his own, tongue already teasing hers as the kiss quickly deepened and exploded between the two lovers.

And then he eased into her, a hand holding her leg below the knee as he angled her, never breaking their kiss, helping her into a better position. Alina held fast to him, a silent thank you always on her lips, and dug her nails on his back, savouring the feeling of every taunt muscle under her greedy touch. He rolled his hips and she sunk her teeth into his lower lip.

“Ouch!” he groaned into the kiss and laughter broke loose within Alina.

“Sorry, that was just… Oh… Yes, good and perfect and oh! Nikolai…!” She tried to speak when he rolled his hips again and just a tad harder and faster. Her back arched even more and Alina couldn’t do more than congratulate him on not missing a beat on their lovely and perfect rhythm. It was almost as though he hadn’t even left. The night before he left… Oh… Alina had been so spent that night. So, so spent.

“Thank you, you’re not so bad yourself.” He rasped and were it not for the obvious and insufferable smile she could hear in his voice and Alina would have kicked him. As she felt the blatant tease all over her skin, Alina refused to sink so low. Instead, she rolled her hips and dragged her nails down his back, relishing in the lovely growls and gasps that Nikolai let out. “Saints… Oh, Alina… Saints…!” He cursed and thrust harder into her, picking up the pace after Alina let out a curse of her own.

“Oh… Oh! Nikolai… Oh saints…!” Their rhythm grew faster and slicker, the hard wood groaning under their passionate embrace. Nikolai pressed his temple against hers, eyebrows furrowing as he drew closer and closer to his release, Alina not far behind. Her body trembled and ached, her blood boiled to mist and her heart seemed to be close to exploding to infinite bits with how much it seemed to hold in that moment.

“Alina…!” Her name was ever present on his lips, like a growled prayer as their heated dance came to a finish. He rolled his hips again, leading Alina into her climax with that tenderness that she loved so much about him.

She cried out his name, a shower of yesses falling off her lips as he eased the two into a slower rhythm, slower and slower and slower. Until their bodies were practically still, nothing but their heaving chests moving.

“Nikolai…” she whimpered when he moved away, fingers blindly searching for him. The king chuckled before returning to her embrace as he covered the two with his long coat, the heavy piece forgotten since the beginning of the meeting. It smelled of the sea, the strong scent wrapping her in a little bubble of heaven.

“Don’t worry, sunshine. I’m not going anywhere, I promise.” He pressed a kiss to her flushed cheek and laced their fingers together, “I promise, my love.”

Her eyes, heavy with lust and love and weariness, fluttered closed for a moment, “You better.”

 

* * *

 

She must have drifted off at some time, because the next thing she knew, Nikolai was shaking her shoulder and whispering her name in her ear, “Alina, sunshine, we should go to our room. Don’t you think?”

“Did I fall asleep?” she groaned, feeling every bone in her body crack and groan from the sudden ‘exercise’.

Nikolai moved away and searched for their clothes, “I’m afraid we _both_ did. Not for long, I’m sure, but we really should retreat to our rooms and continue our _meeting_ within those walls we know and love so much. Plus,” He added, handing her underwear and helping her back into her dress, “Our bed is much more comfortable than this hard table. Warmer too.”

A snort that was anything but lady-like blew out of her, “You remember that _now_?”

Panic turned his eyes to two enormous balls, “Oh, my love! I am terribly sorry, I should have taken the fall this time. Not you, never you. What a terrible husband I must be. I am so, so sorry.”

She shook her head and held out her hands. Nikolai took them and helped her off the table, “Don’t be. I was in a hurry as well, remember?” She circled his waist and buried her nose in his shirt, taking in yet another lungful of his wonderful scent. She could get drunk in this and die the next moment. She would die happy.

Nikolai returned the embrace and settled his chin on the crown of her head, “Hmm that is true, yes. Still, I should have been the gentleman and rolled us over.”

“Tell you what,” She mumbled into his chest, “If you take us to our room as fast as you can and through our secret passages only, I’ll let you make it up to me.”

“Oh, negotiating, are we? Did you spend that much time with the council, Alina dearest?”

A pained groan rocked her bones, “I wish I hadn’t. They can be so… so…”

“Insufferable?” He said and she swore he was smiling.

“No. So… _Rich_.” For lack of a better word. Nikolai laughed, the sound warm and larger than life. She could get drunk on this too. Against her own wishes, Alina found a smile curving her lips at that wonderful sound. “Yes, yes. I know, not exactly an offense. But you know what I mean.”

His laughter died out, though a corner of his mouth remained up in a teasing smirk, “I know, Alina. I know. Now,” He cupped her face and drew her in for a tender and sweet kiss, his hands always so soft and caring, “To our room?”

If she were observing it all, Alina would probably describe her eyes as hungry and dark, like that of a dangerous predator, hunting its next meal. But as she wasn’t, she could only flash her best seductive smile and hope Nikolai would understand her silent code.

He did of course.

 

* * *

 

Deep in the perfection that was the cocoon of their sheets, Alina didn’t want to wake up at all. She opened her eyes just a crack and caught a glimpse of Nikolai as he read a book. He turned a page and she noticed the shiny cover, the deep blue leather winking at her in the firelight. Must be new, she didn’t recognise the artwork that decorated the cover. Her body ached, silently urging her to stretch and crack and release all tension still lodged in between her joints. She tried to delay the event, entranced as she was by the sight of her husband doing something as casual as reading. She loved these moments. Peaceful, intimate in their own league. Moments she would remember always, even when old age would come and chip away the rest of her life. These were moments she would always hold on to as hard as she could.

But some things are just like the tides, you can’t stop them no matter what. And so she relented and stretched with a long and satisfied groan, arms peeking out from under the covers. Nikolai glanced at her for a moment before he marked the page and closed the book. It disappeared from his hands when she blinked away her sleep and soon enough Nikolai was lying back down, eye to eye with her. “Hello, sleepy Alina.”

A smile cracked through before she could even think about stopping it, “Hello, restless Nikolai.” She reached out and passed her fingers through his mussed her, “Why aren’t you asleep? Or did I sleep for too long?”

He caught her hand within his and pulled it down to his lips, and began placing soft kisses over each and every knuckle, “It’s only half past midnight, Alina. And…” He turned her hand and kissed her palm, his touch lingering for a moment longer before tugging it down and lacing their fingers together, “I confess I couldn’t sleep.”

“Why? Nightmare? Something you ate?” Stomach knotted in worry as Alina began to ramble, “Please tell me what it is Nikolai.”

His chuckle annoyed her just a little, “It’s nothing bad, sunshine. I just…” He sighed, “I just couldn’t stop looking at you.”

She stopped and felt a warmth blooming deep within her chest, “Oh.”

“Yes. Oh.”

“That’s it?”

He nodded, “That’s it.”

“Then why the book?”

He laughed, “I was afraid you’d wake up and find me staring at you like a creep. Had to play it casual, of course.”

She rolled her eyes at the ridiculous excuse, “You don’t have to. We’re married, remember?”

Nikolai brushed his nose on hers, “Yes, there’s not a day I don’t remember that miracle.”

“You’re so dramatic.”

“Hmm, but that’s why you love me so much.”

“Yes, I am afraid that is true…”

“And I love you too, so very much, my sunshine.” He pressed a kiss on her temple.

Alina felt right down to her fingertips, the way her heart seemed to sing to his words and kisses. It was almost ridiculous, if she wasn’t just as ridiculously in love with him as Nikolai was with her. She put a hand over his chest, slim fingers barely covering the lighting-shaped scars that covered his skin, “I love you, Nikolai. I missed you. And I love you.” She breathed, her voice breaking a little with the word “missed”. How many nights she had tumbled in their bed, the large mattress now as terrifying and endless as the universe without Nikolai there to hold her close. How many nights she had gnawed on her lip, trying to chase away the occasional nightmare of Nikolai not coming back at all. It really had surprised her, how his absence had taken such a hefty toll on her.

“Hey…” He whispered, nothing but tenderness and love in his voice, “I’m back now. Don’t worry your beautiful mind anymore, Alina. I’m back. I’m back.”

“I know and I’m so happy. So happy it’s ridiculous.”

“Ridiculous? Never! You? You can never be ridiculous.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes, really. I believe that is something you have saved just for me, or am I wrong?”

She rolled her eyes and sighed, the sound exaggerated on purpose, “Yes, I suppose you really are the ridiculous one.”

“The Ridiculous Too-Clever Fox.” He announced, proud as he could of his favourite title. Nikolai leaned in for another kiss when he stopped halfway through, leaving Alina looking like a confused fish. “That reminds me, I have something for you!” And just like that, he was out of the bed, rushing through the room. And naked as a baby.

Alina squealed and laughed at the sight, covering her eyes as more laughter rolled out of her, “You’re naked! Nikolai! You’re naked!” She squealed again, making a terrible work of covering her eyes and looking straight between her fingers. Nikolai stopped in the middle of the room and looked her way. He posed, flexed and arm and winked. More laughter broke out of Alina and a self-satisfied smirk got plastered on his face before he continued his search.

After the king finally reached his traveling coat, Alina lost sight of him, her chest heaving hard from all the laughter and blatant ogling she had just done. Then she felt the bed wobble under her and Nikolai was once more under the sheets and tugging her closer to him. He kissed her nose and whispered in her ear, “Close your eyes, sunshine.” She did, already giddy over what he could have possibly brought back to her. “Good, now give me your hand. Fantastic.” She waited, hand safely held within his. Then, after a full minute of impatiently waiting, there was a cold press on her palm. Without waiting for his word, she curled her fingers around the shape and pulled it to her. It was hers now, whatever the gift was. “You can open your eyes now.” Nikolai said, barely holding back the chuckle that shook his body. She was so excited she didn’t even bother with reacting to his mockery.

Alina took a deep breath and opened her eyes at the same time she opened her hand. “You didn’t!” She gasped, torn between exasperated annoyance and giddy love over her husband. A _fox_. A tiny, porcelain and hand painted fox. Fluffy, curled up on itself with a sleepy smile and sleepy eyes. Its tail was exaggerated, bigger than the fox itself and curled all around it. The little animal was asleep on her palm, red and orange and black and white, and it was perfect. Perfect.

“Something special I got made, for your little collection.” Nikolai said, satisfied with her reaction.

Alina looked up and kissed his cheek, “I love it, Nikolai!”

“I’m glad you do. But don’t go loving your foxes more than me, sunshine. Or I’ll have to hold them hostage just to earn back your sweet love.”

She rolled her eyes and turned away to settle her tiny fox on the bedside table, right next to a fox shaped lamp. Foxes. After finding out about the Too-Clever Fox thing, Nikolai hadn’t just kept her in their room for plenty of love-making. No, he had decided to begin gifting her with foxes. Fox toys, fox paintings, fox stuffed toys and even a live one. She’d called it Marie and there was not a day that passed without Alina going to the kennels to play with the fuzzy pet. And now, to add to her unexpected collection, a porcelain miniature. “It’s my favourite, right after you.” She finally said, a sigh escaping her lips as Nikolai pulled her in his embrace.

He pressed a kiss on her spine, “That makes me feel so much better now.”

“You’ll be even more insufferable tomorrow, won’t you?”

“You wouldn’t have me any other way, sunshine.”

She smiled, “No, I wouldn’t.”

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> there's a lack of married!nikolina within canon universe. so I wrote this! :D
> 
> also, I really wanted to write a fic where Nikolai found out about Alina calling him Too Clever Fox and deciding to gift her all the foxes x)
> 
>  
> 
> feedback/comments/fangirling means a lot to me, and it helps keep away non-writing moods <3


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